1Blessed Natural Mag

1BlessedNatural Spotlight: Shantell's Crochet Braids Happy Sunday, my blessed naturals, Today, I ran into a young lady named Shantell who was rocking a crochet braids hairstyle. Crochet braids consist of your own hair being cornrowed (usually straight back) and then extensions are added to it using a latch hook. This is a great protective style and alternative for anyone who does not want to wear wigs, sewn-in weaves, or braid/twist extensions. Because the hair extensions are latched onto your cornrows, crochet braids allow your scalp to breathe. Because I was in a bit of a hurry, I didn't get to ask Shantell a lot of questions about her hair. She was rocking a thick head of black and honey-blonde Marley hair. The hair was in a loose curl like she'd done a Bantu knot-out. I remember crochet braid hairstyles were popular back when I was in high school in the early 2000's, but most girls wore the individual braid extensions instead of loose hair. I plan ...

1BlessedNatural: Solange Knowles' Mold Breaking, Wedding Day Hair! (photo courtesy of Flickr- Geoffrey Franklin under the C C by 2.0 ) Hey, my blessed naturals, I'm late talking about Solange's mold breaking hair for her wedding, but better late than never, right? You must forgive me! When you Google the phrase "traditional Black wedding hairstyles" you will find that the majority of the hairstyle results are slick up-dos. Solange Knowles shut down the Internet on November 16, 2014 when she revealed her beautiful and unique wedding festivity pics of her rocking a thick and beautiful Afro and 5 different outfits. She wedded her longtime boyfriend, Alan Ferguson in New Orleans, Louisiana. Solange posted a Facebook picture of herself wearing an off-the-shoulder piece, red lipstick, and Afro with white flowers in it. The young singer and fashion icon's look was for her rehearsal dinner. Her caption said,"Dreaming of these flowers my sister p...

#Ferguson: About a Mother's Tears (photo courtesy of Flickr-Tiffany Von Arnim under the CC by 2.0 On, Monday, November 24, 2014, I was left speechless in front of my computer when I found out the no indictment verdict for officer Darren Wilson in the Mike Brown (#Ferguson) case. I flipped through the TV channels to find cars on fire and people screaming for justice to be served. I saw cops releasing tear gas and people looting. Many of the news reports I saw focused on the rioting as if it was not due to an injustice. It was almost as if the images of a people in an uproar were the ONLY story, but I knew it wasn't... The anger, hurt, and frustration of myself and millions of other people do not come close to those of Leslie Mcspadden (Mike Brown's mother), Sybrina Fulton (Trayvon Martin's mother), Valerie Bell (Sean Bell's mother), and their family and friends. These are 3 of several Black mothers who bore children and lost them to injustice.  We m...

1BlessedNatural:  (photo courtesy of Flickr- Gage Skidmore (cropped) - under the   CC BY-SA 2.0) Yesterday, TMZ reported that Halle Berry took her ex-boyfriend, Gabriel Aubry to court because he allegedly straightened and highlighted their 6-year old daughter, Nahla Aubry's hair.  According to the report, the judge ruled for the parents to let the little girl's hair grow out naturally. While I think a court visit to make a decision about her daughter's hair is a bit excessive, I agree with Ms. Berry all the way! Their daughter is too young to use harsh chemicals on her hair. Also, fathers' opinions of their daughters can have a large effect on their self-esteem. If the report is true and Gabriel Aubry really straightened and highlighted his daughter's hair, I believe he's dead wrong. We're suppose to be teaching the youth to love themselves. According to TMZ, Berry's words were that Aubry who is French-Canadian was trying to make their lit...

1BlessedNatural: How to Do Neat Mini Twists ( video ) Hey, my blessed naturals! I've just uploaded a new video called "How to Do Neat Mini Twists" on my YouTube channel. The video is a tutorial on how I do my mini two-strand twists. I also included the products I use on my hair. If you are not able to view the video below, please click the link. 1BlessedNatural: "How to Do Neat Mini Twists" ( video ) Do you do mini twists? Don't forget to enter 1BlessedNatural's 2014 Christmas Giveaway !   Related Articles: New Mini Twist Up-do Video Tutorial Video                              Mini Two-Strand Twists Photo and Video                              New Video Posted: How to...

1BlessedNatural: Sonequa Martin-Green's Mohawk on Talking Dead! Happy Monday, my blessed naturals! Last night, 'Walking Dead' actress Sonequa Martin-Green guest starred on Talking Dead and she looked fabulous! Green appeared alongside host Chris Hardwick and guests Christian Serratos , and Paul F. Tompkins. The actress who plays "Sasha" on 'Walking Dead' wore a side mohawk. The right side of her head had two cornrows going around to the back. The rest of her loosely curled black hair (which appeared to be a sewn-in) hung off to the left at chin level. I was glad to see her rocking a textured hairstyle this time! I thought the style was really cute! She also wore a sheer and solid striped, black lace top and black pants.  Green revealed to the audience that she was 8 months pregnant! Christian Serratos, who plays "Rosita" on 'Walking Dead' commented that her weight was all in her stomach, and I agree! LOL. When asked abou...

The 1BlessedNatural 2014 Christmas Giveaway! Happy Saturday, my blessed naturals! I'm always looking for a way to celebrate and say thank you for all of your support so, I am doing another giveaway! I am giving away a Christmas tin with some beauty and natural hair goodies inside... (1) Fine and Dandy Dapper (Classy Coconut) Duck Lip Balm (1) L.A. Colors- 12 Color Eyeshadow Palette (2) stretchy headband, headwraps *1BlessedNatural is not affiliated with any of the companies or manufacturers of the products listed above. The 1BlessedNatural 2014 Christmas Giveaway will begin today and end at 12:00am on Saturday, December 6, 2014 . The winner will be announced on Sunday, December 7th, 2014 . I will create a new post to announce the winner, so please be sure to check the home page on December 7th. Also, please be sure to read and follow all of the giveaways rules to prevent your entries from being disqualified. Please add 1BlessedNatural[at]gmail[dot]com to ...

1BlessedNatural: Breaking Down the "Emotional Half-fro" on Black-ish" -picture of Diane on Black-ish with her half fro (photo courtesy of @ tvtagBlackish ) Last night's episode "Oedipal Triangle" of the new hit comedy Black-ish on ABC dealt with the idea of the "emotional half-fro." Dre's mother, Ruby (played by Jenifer Lewis) comes to visit the family, and Rainbow is not happy about it because she knows that she questions her parenting. She also judges her "blackness" or ability to relate to Black life. Rainbow is bi-racial. When Ruby takes it upon herself to give Diane an Afro, she makes it clear to Rainbow that she feels she is not in touch with her Black side. I think the "emotional half-fro" represents this idea  Dre lays out rose petals and the works for his mom Ruby, but Rainbow is not trying to hear it. Ruby puts on an elaborate display to show that she is in touch with her roots. This includes cookin...

1BlessedNatural: Twist-Out on Braid-Out Hairstyle Hey, my blessed naturals,  Monday night, I did medium, pin curl   two-strand twists on my braid-out hair . I used Aunt Jackie's Curl La La and coconut oil. This morning, I unraveled them. Because I had some Zum Grapefruit Oil by Indigo Wild available, I applied that to my fingers beforehand. I love the smell of it! The bottle says it's Shea Butter Massage and Body Oil, but it works fine on my hair. After removing my twists, I fluffed my hair out and added a headband. The results included a well defined twist-out! 1BlessedNatural: front view of twist-out on braid-out hairstyle 1BlessedNatural: side of twist-out on braid-out hairstyle 1BlessedNatural: back of twist-out on braid-out hairstyle  Do you wear twist-outs?    Related Articles: Chunky Twist-Out with Bang                ...

Hey, my blessed naturals,  Many of you have followed my sister C's hair journey on here. Last month, I told you all that she was returning back to wigs and weaves for protective styling. Well, she now has a channel! Her name is Gurls NightIn . She does cool reviews on wigs, weaves, and extensions. Check her out! Rate, Comment, and Subscribe if you like! Gurls NightIn: Review of Queens Weave Beauty Lace Closure ( video ) Related Articles: Update on C's Natural Hair: Curls Poppin'                             Update on C's Natural Hair!                             Moving On from Traction Alopecia                          ...

1BlessedNatural: 3 1/2 Years Natural video Hey, my blessed naturals!  Some of your may remember back in March when I hit my 3-year natural hair anniversary. I did a length check of the back of my hair 1 month later, in April . Since it's been a while, I decided to do a full length check last night . Check out my YouTube video below! Related Articles: My 3 Year Natural Hair Anniversary                             3 Years and 1 Month Natural Hair, Length Check                             October 2013 Length Check When was your last length check?

1BlessedNatural: Braids and Braid-Out Happy Monday, my blessed naturals! I hope you all are having a great evening. My hair has been really dry due to the cold temperatures. My plan was to keep my hair in braids as my protective style, but I forgot how braids can make my hair look sparse. So, I ended up removing them this morning for a defined braid-out. The products I used were the Curls Creme Brule Whipped Curl Cream and 100% Coconut Oil on wet hair. I put my hair in medium size braids and twisted the ends. Afterwards, I created two french braids, rolled the ends, and pinned them in the back. My hair was allowed to dry overnight. In the morning, I unraveled the braids and put on a headband. I plan to mini twist my hair this week to give it rest.  1BlessedNatural: after washing my hair...  1BlessedNatural: Braids or plaits  french braided in preparation for a braid-out What is your fall protective styling choice? ...

1BlessedNatural: 4 Tips to Avoid Fine Natural Hair Tangle and Single Strand Knots   Hey, my blessed naturals! I hope you all are having a great Monday. If you have fine, thick, and kinky/curly natural hair (like me), then you know how difficult it is to keep tangles to a minimum. If you want to avoid single strand knots or SSKs, here are 3 tips that worked for me: 1. Keep your hair stretched. When you keep your hair stretched, your strands are less likely to wrap around themselves to create tangles. Styles like twists, braids, puffs, curl-sets, and buns allow you to keep your hair stretched. Some naturals also use heat styling, but it can be risky. I would suggest doing your homework before using heat on your hair. This way you can avoid damage. If you would like to stretch your hair without heat, another option would be to band it. 2. Keep your hair moisturized. It is very important to keep your natural hair moisturized in general. If you have fine strands, it...

1BlessedNatural Fridays: God and Overachievers ( video ) Happy Friday, my blessed naturals! I hope you all are having a great morning. I posted a new video on my YouTube channel called God and Overachievers. If you or someone you know is an overachiever, you don't want to miss this! I pray that it blesses you. Check out the video below. If you cannot see the video below, please click the link.  Vid #20: God and Overachievers ( video ) Are you an overachiever? Related Articles: God Self-Love and Goals                              God Will Do a New Thing in Your Life

1BlessedNatural: Apple Cider Vinegar: PH Balance and Seborrheic Dermatitis Happy Thursday, my blessed naturals! Through my 3-year natural hair journey, I've heard a lot of things about Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) being beneficial for natural hair. Some of the things include it being a great frizz controller and conditioner, but I've never tried it until now.  Many of you may be aware that I suffer from seborrheic dermatitis. Although I've had the condition for my whole life, my scalp itchiness and irritation have gotten worse within the last 2 years. I've been using a prescription shampoo and oil to control it. In the past, I've tried natural remedies like tea tree oil to treat the condition naturally, but to no avail. I have to give a shout out to the lovely ladies at +Enjoyable Inspiration  for suggesting that I try doing an ACV/Beer Rinse infused with tea tree and geranium oil to treat the inflammation of my scalp, but I only did the ACV rinse. Tha...

1BlessedNatural: New Video and Pics:How to Do a Natural Hair Puff Happy Tuesday, my blessed naturals! Since I've received a few requests about how to do natural hair puffs, I've decided to do a puff tutorial video on my YouTube channel . Many of you may already know that puffs are one of my go-to styles! Here's the video and pics: 1BlessedNatural Tutorial: How to Make a Natural Hair Puff ( video ) 1BlessedNatural: side view of natural hair puff 1BlessedNatural: back of natural hair puff What's your go-to hairstyle(s)? Related Articles: Natural Hair Puff as Low Manipulation Hairstyle                             Natural Hair Puff with Turquoise Flower                           ...

1BlessedNatural: Review of Curls Creme Brule Whipped Curl Cream Hey, my blessed naturals! Happy Sunday! Last week, I tried the Curls Creme Brule Whipped Curl Cream and wanted to do a review on the product. In addition to this review, I've done a video review on my YouTube channel. You can check it out below. My Review of the Curls Creme Brule Whipped Curl Cream ( video ) Product: Curls Creme Brule Whipped Curl Cream (2 fl oz) bottle Place: Target, Amazon Price: $3.49, regular 8oz bottle in between $10.00-$11.00 Claims:   curl defining and moisturizing cream formulated with certified organic sweet almond milk, shea butter, and aloe leaf juice (proven to fight frizz, restore lost sheen, and encourage hair growth) NO sulfates, silicones, parabens, artificial oils, colors, or fragrances - front of bottle Creme Brule Whipped Curl Cream will define, defrizz, and moisturize your tresses leaving soft curls without hold. - back of bottle In...

1BlessedNatural: Little Girls' Natural Hair Halloween Styles Hey, my blessed naturals! I hope you all had a great Halloween! Yesterday, Big and Little Sister Natural wore their hair in some cute styles for the day. 9-Year- old, big sis was a bumblebee. She rocked a medium-size fishtail braid going across the front of her head and a banded ponytail ( banding method ) in the back. She wore an antenna headband in the part between her braid and ponytail. Little Sister Natural was a princess. Some of you may remember a previous post I did on her hair when she had the same style, but was 1 or 2 years old. She is now 4 years old, and her hair has grown sooo much since then! She wore her hair in 2 big twist-out ponytails with 1 ball ponytail holder on each one. God has blessed their mom to do all of that hair! That's for sure! LOL Here are some pics: 1BlessedNatural: side view-  Big Sister Natural's fishtail braid across head with banded ponytail 1Bl...